This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show was yet another terrific exhibition of horticultural beauty, to which Arthur Parkinson had a fabulous front-row seat. 

Arthur takes the mic on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this week, once again bringing you the best in show, from the headlines of royal roses to the lesser-known stories from incredible stands and gardens at the show.

In this episode, discover:

• A rose fit for a King, with David Austin’s announcement of a new variety
• The Great Pavillion’s most grand displays, and what made it Arthur’s favourite part of the show
• Some of the incredible stands run by organisations with purpose, such as the Songbird Survival Trust and Women of the Glasshouse

Products mentioned:

Crabapple

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/crabapple

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Rubenza'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-rubenza

Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-suttons-apricot

Papaver somniferum 'Black Beauty'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-somniferum-black-beauty

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

While we all love a trip to the garden centre for short-term inspiration, a more measured approach to buying the right kind of plants for your plot can help you achieve a beautiful and sustainable garden, with year-round interest and resilience.

This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Sarah is joined by Gary Newell, Senior Horticultural Buyer, who advises us to ditch the impulse plant purchases and instead, follow his simple rules for matrix planting – a method he’s used to great effect in his own garden at home.

In this episode, discover:

• The art of matrix planting – a nature-led, strategic method used in landscape design
• Which plants are best-suited to create a stunning, low-maintenance garden
• The four essential layers of matrix planting – from the ground-hugging base layer, to show-stopping structural shrubs

Products mentioned:

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' AGM

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-limelight

Hydrangea arborescens 'Incrediball' (Strong Annabelle)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-incrediball

Hydrangea paniculata 'Wim's Red'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-paniculata-wims-red

Baptisia australis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/baptisia-australis

Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-nemarosa-caradonna

Amelanchier lamarckii

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/amelanchier-lamarckii

Cotinus x dummeri 'Grace'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cotinus-grace

Cornus kousa var. chinensis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cornus-kousa-var-chinensis

Pelargonium 'Attar of Roses' (Scented)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pelargonium-attar-of-roses

Ammi majus

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ammi-majus

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Purity’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-purity

Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helenium-moerheim-beauty

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Biennials – plants which flower in their second year – may often be overlooked by us gardeners, but between their value for money, wonderful scent, and versatility they’re among the best plants to sow and grow in any garden.

Sarah makes the case for brilliant biennials in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, exploring how she came to appreciate their beauty, and which varieties are best for all aspects of your space.

In this episode, discover:

• How the right mix of biennials can fill the awkward May gap with prolific blooms, all for the price of a seed packet
• The best early-flowering biennials, from fragrant wallflowers to the scented sweet rocket, Hesperis matronalis
• Moth-pollinated varieties with rich fragrance and velvety textures to create a pollinator paradise

Products mentioned:

Rosa x odorata 'Mutabilis' (China)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-x-oderata-mutabilis

Rosa × odorata 'Bengal Crimson' (China)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-x-odorata-bengal-crimson

Digitalis purpurea 'Sutton's Apricot'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-suttons-apricot

Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/digitalis-purpurea-alba

Wild Sweet William (Saponaria officinalis)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/wild-sweet-william

Matthiola incana 'Vintage Antique Mix'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/matthiola-incana-vintage-antique-mix

Malope trifida 'Vulcan'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/malope-trifida-vulcan

Lunaria annua

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lunaria-annua

Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/papaver-nudicaule-champagne-bubbles-mix-f1

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Tom Stimpson’s pint-sized garden is an inspiration for anyone with a small urban plot, and it’s packed with showstopping varieties that will flower for months on end providing colour, scent, and food for pollinators in a compact space.

In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Tom, our Head of Horticulture, tells Sarah how he’s brought his small town garden to life, including the irresistible combinations of dahlias and salvias that he’s planting in his whopper pots for the season to come.  

In this episode, discover:

• Tom's ingenious approach to small-space gardening
• New plant varieties to transform pots, with an eye on an upcoming dahlia called 'Tom's Choice' 
• The art of colour-layering in garden design, choosing from palettes to co-ordinate your borders

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Gardens are a multisensory experience, and while we primarily think of aesthetics, it’s the scent of spring plants which is absolutely second to none.

Sarah’s flying solo this week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share her pick of favourite scented spring bulbs and other perfumed plants to envelop your senses and uplift your spirits.

In this episode, discover:

• Spring's most wonderfully scented bulbs, from delicate narcissus to room-filling tulips
• Which bulbs are Sarah’s longest-flowering, most resilient garden heroes
• How to create a sensory sensation with fragrant climbers that transform your outdoor space

Products mentioned:

Hyacinth 'Peter Stuyvesant' for Forcing

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hyacinth-peter-stuyvesant-for-forcing

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Woodstock' (Forcing)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hyacinth-woodstock-for-forcing

Narcissus 'Moonlight Sensation'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-moonlight-sensation

Narcissus 'Starlight Sensation'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-starlight-sensation

Narcissus 'Actaea'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-actaea

Narcissus 'Geranium'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-geranium

Narcissus 'Avalanche'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-avalanche

Narcissus 'Cragford' (Forcing)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-cragford-for-forcing

Narcissus cordubensis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-cordubensis

Narcissus 'Pipit'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-pipit

Tulip 'Ballerina'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-ballerina

Geum 'Totally Tangerine'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geum-totally-tangerine

Tulip sylvestris

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulipa-sylvestris

Tulip 'Request'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-request

Akebia quinata (Chocolate Vine)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/akebia-quinata

Tulip 'Sarah Raven'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-sarah-raven

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Urban gardeners who rent will be familiar with the need to transport their portable gardens frequently, so which plants are ideal for pots and containers that are often on the move?

Jemima Bowker is our beginner and balcony gardening expert with a relocation on the horizon. This week, she joins Sarah to chat about the ideal varieties for all sizes and types of container, and ways to protect and transport them during her upcoming move.

In this episode, discover:

• The art of creating a portable garden paradise in zinc tubs and windowsill planters
• Perfect plants for smaller spaces, from bush basil to Texas Wild tomatoes 
• How to layer compost, feeding your plants and keeping containers looking pristine from May right through to autumn

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

There's been some exciting breeding and hybridising using species tulips - those closely related to wild tulips - in recent years, which has made them perfect plants for withstanding tulip fire.

Species tulips are a newfound favourite for Josie and Sarah at Perch Hill, and in this episode we’ll hear why they’re a must-have for pots in particular, and which incredible varieties have captured their attention.

In this episode, discover:

• The remarkable resilience of species tulips to wetter springs and fungal disease 
• A vibrant world of unique tulip varieties, from the flame-like Tulip acuminata, to Cretan natives like Hilde
• Tips for naturalising species tulips in grass and growing in pots for decades of stunning blooms
• How species tulips are the ultimate breakfast buffet for early pollinators and emerging bumblebee queens

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Bees are an absolute passion for us at Perch Hill, not just for their pollination and presence in the garden, but for their delicious and nutritious produce too.

The same can be said for award-winning author and fermentation expert, Rachel de Thample, who joins Sarah this week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share delicious honey-inspired recipes from her new book, her pick of the best bee-friendly plants, and much more besides.

In this episode, discover:

• Rachel’s journey to writing her latest book, working at River Cottage and being introduced to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
• The incredible and industrious world of bees, and how it takes 12 bees a lifetime to create a single teaspoon of honey 
• Bee-friendly herbs that are not just beautiful, but useful to bees and humans alike
• A reimagined view of honey in cooking with Rachel's spectacular recipes

Products mentioned:

Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/thyme-common

Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/summer-savory

Oregano 'Hot and Spicy'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/oregano-hot-and-spicy

Artichoke 'Violet de Provence'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/artichoke-violet-de-provence

Borago officinalis (Borage)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/borago-officinalis

Allium siculum (syn. Nectaroscordum)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nectaroscordum-siculum

Discover Rachel’s new book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/bees--honey-9781526625465/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

There’s a rich, complex, and utterly rewarding natural world that co-exists alongside ours, and relies on our gardens for food and safety – the often surprising world of small garden birds.

This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Adam Nicolson shares insights from his new book, Bird School, which explores the secret life of these tiny avian visitors, so often unfurling right under our noses in our gardens and green spaces.

In this episode, discover:

• The true reasons behind the dawn chorus, its unique sound and timing
• What inspired Adam to immerse himself in the world of small birds
• How birds perceive the world so intricately, in a way that we’re yet to fully understand
• What we as gardeners can do to help protect our British bird species

Order Adam’s new book, Bird School:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bird-School-Beginner-Adam-Nicolson/dp/000849083X

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Salix gracilistyla ‘Mount Aso’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salix-gracilistyla-mount-aso

Goat willow hedging

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/goat-willow-hedging

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Spring is here in all its glory, and with it comes the perfect moment to plant and sow. This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ we’ve compiled our top tips and growing inspiration from not one, but seven of Sarah’s all-time favourite guests.

From Knepp’s Charlie Harpur on his favourite plants for pollinators, to the veg varieties Jess Gough is growing at home, revisit some of Sarah’s greatest guests and their timely recommendations for gardens large and small. Sarah also shares five fresh ideas for what to plant into your garden right now.

In this episode, discover:

• Top growing tips from seven of Sarah’s most illustrious gardening guests
• Inspiration on plants for perfume, pollinators and punchy colour combinations in your garden
• Sarah’s top five flowers to plant now with springtime in mind

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest